Travel to Mexico to immerse yourself in Day of the Dead traditions on this fast-paced 5-day trip. Mexicans view this tradition as a celebration, not a day of sadness. We will take part in Oaxaca’s Dead of the Dead celebrations including visits to ornately decorated altars, local artisans and cooking lessons in traditional Mexican foods. We will also have the opportunity to explore the Monte Albán ruins, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the most significant archaeological sites in Mesoamerica. 

 Overnight stay included: Hotel La Noria 

After landing at Oaxaca’s international airport, you will meet your pre-arranged and secure transport to Hotel La Noria. The hotel is a glimpse into the colorful life in Oaxaca and characteristic of the city’s historic architecture. Feast your eyes on the elaborate culture evident in the rooms, which boast Spanish and Mexican touches. Additionally, each accommodation is fitted with essentials like cable TV and air-conditioning.  Later, immerse yourself in the Oaxaca lifestyle at a Tour Manager’s reception, where delicious specialties will captivate your taste buds.  

Overnight stay at Hotel La Noria, breakfast, and dinner included.

Today, we’ll travel to Ocotlán to explore traditional markets where a variety of colors, flavors and smells will bombard the senses. In the market there is an abundance of flowers, delicious food, traditional clothes and handmade goods. Then we’ll continue to Coyotepec to take in the ornate trademark black Oaxacan pottery, an ancestral craft still used in everyday life. We’ll continue to the Tilcajete, a town famous for its “Alebrijes,” wood carvings of mystic figures. In the evening, we’ll indulge in the customary foods of Oaxaca and see the Guelaguetza, traditional folkloric dancers of Oaxaca.

Overnight stay at Hotel La Noria, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

This day is dedicated to the flavorful and aromatic cuisine of Oaxaca. After breakfast, we’ll head out to explore the ruins of Monte Albán, the empire on a hill that endured for over 1,200 years. Experience the remains of temples, pyramids, palaces, and ball courts that reveal a culture advanced in the time of its founding, around 500 B.C. Monte Albán is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the most significant archaeological sites in Mesoamerica.   After lunch, you will visit the Mercado to learn about the local ingredients and then attend an exclusive lesson on the techniques of Oaxacan cooking. Our dinner is served family style with the meal we have prepared while learning

 Overnight stay at Hotel La Noria, breakfast, lunch, and dinner included.

After breakfast, we’ll visit a must-see for a Day of the Dead Tour, Mitla, an archeological site and “Place of the Dead.” Remarkable architecture and striking grecas still survive from this Mixtec ceremonial center’s construction around 800 A.D. After, we will travel to Teotitlán to visit local weavers as they display their communities’ colorful local weaving traditions.  We will learn about their natural dye techniques used to color these unique tapestries. Then, we will visit a distillery to learn about and sample mezcal, the national “spirit” of Mexico made from blue agave. Our group will return to Oaxaca by way of Santa María del Tule, location of El Árbol del Tule, This is a legendary 2,00-year-old Montezuma cypress tree has a trunk more than 120 feet in diameter and we can search for images of the elephant, deer, crocodile, fish and other fantastic animals on its twisted trunk. Later in the evening, we’ll enjoy a leisurely dinner at a local restaurant before watching the fantastic Day of the Dead masquerade parade in downtown Oaxaca. We will also visit cemeteries to see the elaborately decorated altars with offerings for the dead and colorful carpets of marigolds, sand, and sawdust adorn the streets welcoming the spirits.

 Breakfast included.

After breakfast at our hotel we will arrange your private transfer to the airport for your flight home.  Or, you can make your own arrangements to stay longer and extend your travels to enjoy more Oaxacan hospitality.